Polarizing Ex-Raiders Starter Signs With Dolphins in Free Agency

Last year, Jack Jones started 16 games for the Las Vegas Raiders, and it appeared to have a bright future with the team. However, he wasn’t a fit under new head coach Pete Carroll, so they decided to let him go.

Jones has a bit of baggage due to previous arrests and the fact that he got benched for effort in a game last season. This led to him having to sit in free agency for months despite having talent and starting experience.

Luckily for Jones, the wait to find a new team is over. The Miami Dolphins revealed that they’ve signed the veteran cornerback to a contract.

Jones in Miami will be an interesting fit. He doesn’t appear to have any strong ties to the coaching staff or the city, but the Dolphins need defensive help. With Jalen Ramsey getting traded this offseason, Jones should have a chance to compete for a starting job.

Jones is a very talented player, and at only 27, he could solidify himself as a long-term starter if he has a big season.

Jamal Adams Playing LB for Raiders

The Raiders’ secondary is set to look quite different this season. Week 1 starting safeties from 2024, Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps, are no longer with the team, while Jones is off to Miami, and Nate Hobbs signed with the Green Bay Packers.

The Raiders recently signed former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, but they aren’t planning to play him in the secondary. According to Carroll, Adams is going to play inside linebacker for Las Vegas.

“I told him right off the bat, I wanted him to play inside,” Carroll said at a press conference. “He’s always been so instinctive, and so aggressive and such a run-through guy. Been a fantastic blitzer over his time and I want to put him in a position to do that.”

Adams hasn’t been as productive in recent years, so perhaps a move to linebacker could be the best thing for his career. Carroll knows Adams well from their time in Seattle.

Is Jeremy Chinn the Raiders’ Nickelback?

The Raiders don’t have an obvious choice for nickel cornerback, so when the team signed Adams, it seemed like he could take one of the safety spots while Jeremy Chinn plays in the slot.

With Adams playing linebacker, it’s not as simple. Chinn continues to take a lot of reps at slot cornerback in training camp. He’s adapting well to the new role.

“The guys really help me a lot as far as just communicating,” Chinn told reporters recently. “When you have different rotations and different defenses coming in, I may be in a completely different spot, whether it be a position or just an area of the field. … It’s really a testament to everyone I’m playing with because they definitely make my job a lot easier.”

The problem with moving Chinn to nickelback is that the Raiders would have a hole at safety again. It remains to be seen who will take over for Chinn when he’s in the slot, but Las Vegas should have a clear plan in place.